Mr Nobody
by EvergreenGirl
Summary: What do you do when you've done something wrong? Most kids would lie. If you say "It was Mr. Nobody," you'd think it's a victimless crime. That's where you're mistaken. When the most accused man in the world is fed up with taking the blame, he's bent on revenge, starting with making parents disappear. How can the Guardians fight someone they can't even see?
1. It Wasn't Me

**Author's Note:** This is my first Rise of the Guardians story, but I hope you like it! I wanted to do a special story for the Christmas season. Let me know what you think!

**Chapter 1: It Wasn't Me**

Jamie Bennett sprinted home as fast as his legs could carry him, the frigid December air stinging his face. It was the last day of school before Christmas break, and he couldn't wait to get home to drink his mom's homemade hot chocolate. His foot landed on a patch of black ice. He slipped and fell with a thud, a loud laugh escaping his lips. Cautiously standing up, he thought about Jack Frost. He hadn't seen Jack since last winter. And it had been winter now for over a month, but the Guardian was nowhere to be seen. Maybe something was wrong. Jamie shrugged off the thought. He was sure Jack was fine. After all, Burgess wasn't the only town that got snow days.

He carefully watched the ground as he walked, trying not to fall again. He could smell the hot cocoa before he'd even opened the front door of his house. Jamie left his snow-covered boots outside the door and stepped in. "Mom, I'm home!" he called, dropping his frosty backpack on the floor.

"Jamie, close the door!" his mother cried when she came down the stairs.

Jamie spun. The wind was blowing snow inside. His eyebrows furrowed. "I-I thought I had," he muttered.

He shut the door and faced his mom. She looked down at his backpack then at him. "You can have some hot cocoa _after_ you put that thing away and go get your sister," she said.

"But, Mom, I'm freezing! I can't even feel my nose!" he whined, slumping over.

Mrs. Bennett chuckled, hugging him. "Jack Frost again, huh?"

Jamie frowned. "No. He's gone."

"Where'd he go?"

"I don't know," Jamie moaned, picked up his bag, and bounded up the stairs.

His socked feet squished with each step; they were damp. He pulled them off and tossed them in the hamper. He flung his backpack to the floor. Sophie's room was just down the hall, so he hollered as he left his room, "Sophie! Hot chocolate!"

"HOT COCOA!" she squealed, hopping down the stairs after her brother.

Her blonde hair was a mess, she clutched a stuffed snowflake, and her bunny slippers squeaked as she walked. Jamie and Sophie ran to the kitchen, but their mom stopped Jamie. "Unh-uh, you have to go put your boots on the porch and clean up that puddle. How many times do I have to tell you to leave them outside?" she scolded, pointing.

The gray boots were dripping on the floor as the snow melted. Jamie stared at the boots in bewilderment. "Wait, what? I _did_ leave them outside!"

"Then why are they inside?" his mom asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I don't know. But it wasn't me."

"Then who was it? Mr. Nobody?"

Jamie shrugged. "COCOA!" cried Sophie, her green eyes pleading as she tugged at her mom's jeans.

Mrs. Bennett handed her a mug. "I'm not kidding, Jamie. Put them outside or you won't get any hot chocolate," she stated.

"Fine," he sighed.

Jamie trudged up to the front door. He could've sworn he'd left them outside. He lifted them up, opened the door, tossed them out onto the porch, and closed the door. Mrs. Bennett handed him some paper towels to clean up the water. His mom gave him a mug of cocoa and put a chicken in the oven to cook for dinner. Jamie chugged the hot chocolate in a minute. "Can I go play outside?" he requested, putting the mug in the sink.

"I thought you were freezing. And now you want to go back out there already?" she inquired.

"Please? I'm warm now. I want to build a snowman before it gets dark."

"I guess you can. But promise me you won't get frostbite."

"I promise. Thanks, Mom!" he shouted on his way up the stairs.

He pulled on a fresh pair of socks and his sneakers. He sat on his bed to tie the shoelaces, noticing something wet under him. Jamie stood up to look. His soaked socks were on the bed instead of in the hamper. He gawked, his mouth agape. "I thought I put you away!" he told the socks, and threw them back in the hamper.

"_You did_," a voice whispered in his ear.

Jamie jumped. His warm brown eyes scanned the room, but no one was there. "Hello?"

There was no answer. Jamie ran downstairs and outside, ready to build the biggest snowman ever. He didn't know what to think of the voice he heard in his room; maybe he was going crazy. But he wasn't going to worry about. Instead, he was going to run to the park to see if his friends were there.

**00000**

Jamie had successfully built a life-sized snowman with his friends, and the weekend passed with still no sign of Jack Frost. But Jamie had noticed something else strange going on. He kept finding things in his house ending up in different places than he'd put them. It was first with his boots and socks, but then he couldn't find his favorite book, or the remote-control helicopter he got for Christmas last year. It was scary, but he was afraid to tell his mom. She probably wouldn't believe him even if he did.

The worst thing was that Jamie had to take the blame for what he didn't do. And one night, Jamie couldn't do it anymore. Mrs. Bennett had just finished washing the dishes, and when she came back into the kitchen, they were covered in dirt. "Jamie Bennett!" she yelled.

Jamie scampered down from his bedroom. "What's wrong, Mom?" he wondered.

"What's the meaning of this?!" she snapped, gesturing to the filthy plates in the sink.

"The dishes are dirty. Is it supposed to mean something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You _know_ what I'm talking about. I just washed those! Why did you do this?" Mrs. Bennett interrogated.

"What? I didn't—I didn't do that. I mean it, I mean it!"

"Then who did?! Do you think I did it myself?"

"No—I don't know. Did you?"

His mom scowled at him. She was getting _really_ mad now. And Jamie didn't want to be anywhere nearby when she blew up. "Can I go to my room?" he whispered.

"No! I'm not done talking to you. Why did you do this?"

"I didn't do it!"

"Don't tell me it was Mr. Nobody," she said.

Jamie paused. What if there really was a Mr. Nobody? Someone who you couldn't see but caused mischief in your house? Someone you'd blame for everything you did wrong? "Maybe it _was_ Mr. Nobody. Think about it. That's the only way this could've happened."

"Mr. Nobody's just an excuse. He's not real, Jamie."

"But what if he is? That would explain why my helicopter went missing yesterday! The one I asked if you'd seen."

"Jamie—"

"And my boots, I'd put them outside! I—"

"Jamie, stop! Go to your room! You're grounded," she cut him off.

She wasn't in the mood for his games, and he wasn't going to confess to dirtying the dishes. "But, Mom, I didn't do it! I swear!" he cried.

"There'll be no swearing in this house! You're grounded, which means no TV, no computer, no video games, and no playing outside. The only time you're allowed out of your room is to eat and use the bathroom, do you understand?"

"IT WASN'T ME! You're punishing me for something I didn't do?!"

"Go to your room!"

"OKAY!" he yelled, stomping up the steps. "I wish _you'd_ disappear!"

Mrs. Bennett sighed and started washing the dishes all over again. Jamie was so infuriated that he didn't come down for dinner when his mom called. He went to sleep with an empty stomach, and was woken the next morning by its growling. Jamie rolled out of bed, put on his slippers, and slogged down to the kitchen, expecting his mom to be making pumpkin pancakes like she did every year around Christmas. But the kitchen was empty. "Mom?" he called.

He checked the living room; no one. Then he tried her bedroom, but still she wasn't there. "Mom?" he yelled with more urgency. "Where are you?"

Sophie stumbled out of her room, rubbing her eyes. "Jamie?"

"It's alright, Sophie. Did you see Mom?"

She shook her head. "Mommy?" she asked.

"I don't know where she is."

Jamie knocked on the bathroom door. It was empty. He sprinted down the stairs, the sound of his feet thumping echoed through the eerily quiet house. Jamie pressed the side of his face against the window to check if her car was in the driveway, and it was still there. Mrs. Bennett couldn't have driven off. "Where did she go?" he asked no one specifically.

"I want Mommy," Sophie cried.

"It's okay—it's okay! I'll find her, I promise," Jamie assured her.

Sophie clung to Jamie's hand as if her life depended on it. Jamie opened the front door to poke his head out. "MOM!" he screamed, hoping she was outside.

But it was only twenty degrees out there, and she didn't like to go out when it was that cold. When no one replied, he and Sophie walked out onto the porch. "What're you gonna do?" she questioned.

"I'm going to call Jack," he replied, letting go of her hand.

Sophie sat on the concrete, squeezing her plush snowflake in her arms. "Jack! Jack!"

Jamie cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "JACK! JACK FROST!"

**00000**

Miles away at the Pole, Jack Frost snuck into North's office. With a mischievous grin plastered on his pale face, he struck the bottom of his staff against the floor, coating the entire room in a layer of ice. He chuckled, and jumped out the window when he heard footsteps. North opened the door to find the room frozen. He didn't look so pleased. "Jack!"

Jack was clinging to the wall outside; his head tilted just enough to peek inside. He ducked when North called his name. Jack glanced back in. "Go find Jack Frost," North told one of the yetis.

Jack clamped his hand over his mouth to suppress laughter. North trudged up to the window, and Jack knew it was time to get out of there. He leapt from the wall, letting a gust of wind take him away. North spotted him, and shouted out the window. "Merry Christmas, _Santa Claus_!" Jack yelled mockingly in mid-laugh.

"Jack!" North called.

Jack pulled a snow globe out of his pocket. He'd swiped it off North's desk. He threw it in front of himself, making a portal to Burgess. It was a lot faster than riding the wind. Jack flew through the opening, and dropped out of the sky above the town. He glided down, making an icy path on the sidewalk to slide across. Jack hadn't given Burgess a snow day all school year, but now that school was out for the holidays, it was too late for that. But he could still visit Jamie Bennett. The breeze rustled his stark white hair as it lifted him into the sky. He spun and dove toward Jamie's house. When he got closer, he could hear Jamie screaming his name.

Sophie hopped up and down when she saw Jack, and pointed, squealing, "Jack! Jack! Jack!"

Jamie looked up, smiling from ear to ear. "Jack Frost!" he cried in relief.

Jack landed on a mound of snow in their yard and leaned on his staff. "What're you two doing outside in your PJs? There's gonna be a blizzard today."

"Where have you been?" Jamie queried, running out into the snow.

"Around. North's got me doing _chores_, eckh," he replied. "I've been up to my eyeballs in work."

He shivered in disgust. Jamie frowned. "I can't find my mom," he mumbled, feeling guilty.

Jack's eyebrows furrowed. "She can't be far. When did you see her last?"

"Last night. It's all my fault. We had a big fight. I wished she'd disappear, and now she has!" he sobbed, tears filling his eyes.

Jack knelt down, resting a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "It'll be alright, okay? We'll find her," he whispered. "Is there anything else you can tell me about what happened to her, Jamie?"

Jamie lowered his gaze. "I think it was . . . Mr. Nobody."


	2. All I Want For Christmas

**Author's Note:** Hello again! I'm going to try to update every couple days if I can. I've even put another story on hold to do this one. I'm glad you like the story so far! Please review! Thanks! ;)

**Chapter 2: All I Want For Christmas**

"Who?" asked Jack Frost, his icy electric blue eyes narrowed intently on Jamie.

"Mr. Nobody," Jamie repeated.

"Oh, o-okay . . ."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

Jack sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He let go of Jamie's shoulder and stood. "I-I didn't say that. I just . . . I don't know. I've heard of him, and I didn't think he was real, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. I thought he was the invisible man to blame for stuff."

"Look, I _know_ it's him. It has to be. Mom wouldn't just leave us, would she?"

Jamie sniffled, wiping the tears from his face before they froze. "No, she wouldn't," Jack guaranteed. "I'm sure. Everything's going to be okay. I'll have to talk to North. He might know who we're dealing with."

As if on cue, a portal opened beside them, two yetis hopping out. Jack aimed his staff at them. "Don't touch me! I'm perfectly capable of _walking_ through, thank you very much."

The yetis backed off. "Don't go!" screamed Sophie, wrapping her arms around Jack's leg and digging her nails into him.

"Hey, hey, hey! Who said I was leaving you two behind?" Jack asked with a smile.

"Yay!" cried Sophie, hugging his leg instead of strangling it.

"We're going to the North Pole with you?" Jamie questioned.

"Yeah. I can't leave you by yourselves. If North wants me to go, he's going to have to let you come too."

Jack picked up Sophie, took Jamie's hand, and they leapt through the portal together. On the other side, Jack was amused by the priceless look of agitation on North's face. He set Sophie down beside Jamie and leaned on his staff nonchalantly. "You wanted to see me?" he stated more than asked.

"Yes. You froze my office!" he yelled sternly, and then noticed Jamie and Sophie. "Why bring kids?"

"That was a prank. And to answer your question, why not? Their mom disappeared. That's the only reason I let your yetis bring me here in the first place," he answered, shooting a glare at the yeti beside him.

"No kids come to the Pole, Jack. It is _number_ _one_ rule."

"Don't be such a grandpa. And last week you said 'no freezing elves' was 'number one rule,' remember?" Jack countered, mimicking North's voice.

"I said that to keep you from freezing elves. There is no number one rule, I think."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Well, what else was I supposed to do with the kids, _huh_?"

"You could've left one of _us_ with them," the Tooth Fairy mused, gesturing at the other Guardians.

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, sure, Miss Blood and Gums. Sandy doesn't talk, Bunny's just—I don't know where to start, and do any of you even know how to take care of a kid? I don't mean only watching them. They have to eat, sleep—"

"Okay, we get your bloody point," Bunnymund snapped.

"BLOODY!" copied Sophie, hopping up and down like a rabbit.

"See, that's where to start with you," Jack told the Easter Bunny, and pointed. "Kids say what they hear. And I don't think Mrs. Bennett would appreciate her kids talking like—well, _you_."

"Sophie, stop," Jamie muttered to his sister.

"What's wrong with the way I talk?!" cried Bunny, clenching his fists.

"Nothing, but you can be a _little_ harsh," Tooth said.

Shapes formed above Sandman's head at a million miles an hour. "You know what? Maybe I should've stayed in town! Unless you can miraculously help me find Mr. Nobody," Jack grumbled.

"Shhh!" whispered North, clamping a hand over Jack's mouth. "Don't say his name out loud. He might hear you."

Jack pried North's hand off his face. "Gosh, it's not like he's here!"

"It's true, Jack," Tooth told him. "He could be anywhere at any time and you wouldn't know it unless he wants you to. He's invisible."

"We're up against an invisible man who can transport at will?"

"And he's worse than Pitch," Bunnymund added.

Jack blinked a few times. North inquired, "When did she disappear?"

"Sometime between last night and this morning," Jamie replied.

"Mommy," Sophie whined.

"Aw, it's okay. You wanna hold Baby Tooth?" Tooth Fairy asked.

"Fairy!" shouted Sophie, and caressed the little tooth fairy in her palm.

"This morning I got five hundred letters from kids in whole world," North explained to Jack, "All their parents missing."

"Parents vanishing? That's like _every_ kid's dream. Doesn't sound so bad," Jack said, a grin spreading across his face.

The others glared at him. Lifting his hands in surrender, he cried, "Joking!" He chuckled, but they still didn't look happy. "Come on, I was just kidding! You know, you take me too seriously sometimes."

"Can't always tell with you, Mate," Bunny said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, don't get your cottontail in a twist, Bunny-roo. I'd think by now you'd all just assume I was joking. I mean, I am ninety-five percent of the time. Okay, eighty percent. But that's only because I need a little extra room to care, since I'm a Guardian," Jack retorted, freezing Bunny's tail with a flick of his staff.

Bunnymund scowled, making Jack laugh.

"Don't joke about this, Jack," North scolded.

"Joking is how I . . . vent, I think it's called. And I'll take your advice into consideration. So do you know anything else about Mr. No—you know who?"

"No," North stated.

"Thanks a lot," Jack mumbled sarcastically.

"You should take them home," suggested North, glancing over at the kids.

"Alright."

"Oh, and Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"Freeze my office again and you disappear also."

Jack chuckled. "If you can catch me."

"The yetis had no problem shoving you in a sack before."

"And now I know to never trust a yeti again."

North tossed a snow globe, making another portal. Sophie gave Baby Tooth back, and the three walked through the portal, coming out in front of Mrs. Bennett's house. "I'm hungry," Sophie moaned.

"I guess I'll get you guys something to eat," Jack said as they went inside.

Jack headed to the kitchen while Jamie and Sophie sat on the couch. He checked the pantry, but it had mostly chips, cereal, canned goods, and boxes of food that he had no clue how to cook. He glanced in the fridge, which was full mostly of leftover chicken from a few days ago. The freezer was even worse. Jack didn't know how to cook any of the frozen boxes of food. Jamie offered to help, and they ended up eating slightly burnt microwavable enchiladas that Jack didn't even want to try a bite of.

"Oh," Jamie spoke up, his mouth full of food, "I know something about Mr. Nobody."

"What?" Jack wondered, his hopes rising.

Jamie swallowed his food. "I read about him in a book I checked out from the library."

He ran upstairs to snatch the book off the shelf in his bedroom. When he came back, he showed it to Jack. "It's a book of poems," Jamie elaborated. "There's a poem in here called 'Mr. Nobody.'"

Jamie sat up against Jack and began to read, but Jack stared at the illustration next to the poem, Jamie's voice fading away into the background. It was a drawing of a ghostly see-through man standing behind a little girl at a cracked bathroom mirror. The sight sent a shiver down his spine. Jack shot to his feet and spun, feeling as though he was being watched. "Are you okay?" Jamie asked him.

Hearing Jamie's voice made Jack realize how hard he was breathing. He took a calm, deep breath before answering, "I'm fine."

But he wasn't really. He was terrified. He hadn't felt this frightened since Pitch Black, and this was worse. If Mr. Nobody actually _was_ real, then he could be watching them right now. For all he knew, he could disappear too, without a moment's notice. Jack felt nauseous. He sighed and sat back down. Jamie read a few more poems, falling asleep against the couch. Sophie was curled up on a seat cushion, cuddling a stuffed bear. Jack reached for his staff, but his fingers met the carpet instead. He looked down; it was gone. But he'd had it with him just a second ago. His eyes scanned the room. It was nowhere to be seen.

He gingerly stood up, trying not to disturb Jamie. He searched the whole house, yet had no luck. Maybe he'd left it outside. Jack quietly snuck out the front door. He trudged along the entire perimeter of the house and still couldn't find his magic staff. He kicked a pile of snow. Fuming, he blew onto the roof with the wind. As he climbed up to the tip, his toes hit something—his staff. "How . . . ?" he whispered.

It was strangely quiet out there. The only sound to be heard was the whistling of the wind as it blew the oncoming blizzard nearer. After finding nothing threatening, Jack went back inside. Jamie and Sophie didn't nap long, and they played until bedtime. Jack tucked Sophie in first, and went he got to Jamie's room, Jamie said, "I can't go to sleep."

"Course you can. You do it every night," he replied, sitting at the foot of the bed.

"No, I mean I _won't_. What if Mom comes home?"

Jack sighed in thought. "She's probably not coming home tonight, Jamie. But when she does, you don't want to be exhausted, do you?"

"I guess not."

"Goodnight, Jamie," Jack said, heading for the door.

"Jack?"

Jack turned. Jamie's eyes were full of tears. "When you get a chance, would you tell Santa Claus all I want for Christmas is my mom back?"

"I will," Jack promised, his gaze lowering with the sinking of his heart.

He closed the bedroom door behind him and hurried down the stairs. He dashed out the front door, flew up to the roof, and frowned at the full moon. The moon's odd, unchanging expression forever gazed back. "Why do you do this to me?" Jack asked the Man in the Moon. "You're always up there. You see _everything_, but you _never_ do _anything_!" He whispered, "You never say anything. Why? I need you, and you ignore me. Jamie needs you—well, he needs _me_, but I can't do this by myself."

The moon was barely visible behind the slow-moving clouds. "What am I supposed to do?!" shouted Jack.

It was as he expected, just silence. Jack shot a bolt of frost, like lightning, at the moon. But it vaporized over the neighbor's backyard on its way up. Jack grunted in anger, his eyes glistening with tears in the silvery moonlight. A cold tear snaked down his cheek as his eyes turned bloodshot. He leaned his staff against the chimney, plopped down on the roof's peak, and pulled his hood over his head. He stuffed his hands in the pocket on his hoodie and stared off into the dark horizon. Jack put his arms around his knees, resting his chin on his forearm. He closed his eyes and let the sound of the icy breeze fill his ears, blocking out his thoughts. Jack Frost didn't care if Mr. Nobody was watching him on the roof, because he was ready to fight him when the time came—at least, that's what he told himself.


	3. Mister

**Author's Note:** I'm so excited to start delving deeper into the plot! **Review please! **I love to hear what other fans think!

**Chapter 3: Mister**

Jack, leaning against the chimney, closed his eyes. When he opened them, it was the break of dawn. He never slept and never needed to; he was just trying to relax for a few hours. He hadn't felt so stressed before in his immortal life. He was hoping and praying Mr. Nobody wasn't real. Because finding missing people is always easier than fighting someone to get them back. Even though he thought he was prepared, he was uneasy about the idea of Mr. Nobody. Jack forced himself to laugh. It was ridiculous, him being scared of someone he's never even met. But _is_ it so ridiculous?

That was it—Jack was mad. He wasn't going to let the thought of Mr. Nobody frighten him, and he wasn't going to sit around waiting for the invisible man to make the first move. He had a theory that he felt he was ready to test out. He hopped down off the roof and went inside. Jamie and Sophie were up already, surprisingly. Jamie's brown hair was a ruffled mess on his head from a restless night of tossing and turning in bed. "What's going on?" he asked Jack, who'd slammed the door in a hurry coming in.

"I think I know how to get Mr. Nobody's attention," Jack explained, dashing around the house checking drawers and shelves.

"What're you looking for?" Jamie wondered, his eyes following Jack's every move.

"Something to break. Do you have anything your mom wouldn't mind if I destroyed?" he inquired, peeking into the coat closet.

"Uh, hmm . . . I'm not sure. Oh!" Jamie sprinted to the kitchen. He lifted a disgustingly hand painted vase out from under the sink. "Mom got this for her birthday from a friend. She didn't want to throw it away because it was a gift. But that doesn't mean she'd care if it broke."

Jack took the vase in his hands. "Then let's do her a favor. Stand back."

Jamie took Sophie out of the room. Jack dropped the clay vase, which shattered into large chunks on the tile floor. The sound rang in their ears for a few moments after. Jack turned to Jamie. "Whatever happens, stay in the house, okay?"

Jamie nodded fervently. Jack sucked in a deep breath, tightly clutching his staff. "It was Mr. Nobody," he stated as if he believed it.

A completely dark, small hole opened beneath Jack's feet. He fell in, Jamie crying, "Jack!"

Everything went black for a second, and then he felt the cold of ice under him. He was standing on the frozen lake in town. Jack spun, searching for a sign of someone's presence. Then a spine-chilling, quiet but intimidating, inhuman voice spoke, "_If you wanted to speak with me, all you had to do was ask._"

"Who are you?" Jack questioned.

"_Are you really that daft? You know who I am. Who else would I be, but Mr. Nobody?_" the voice asked from behind him.

Jack glowered, but at nothing; there was no one to see. "What did you do with Mrs. Bennett? And all the other parents you kidnapped?"

The disembodied voice came from yet another direction. "_Oh, ye of little faith! Don't you trust me?_"

"Why on earth should I trust you?"

"_Well, you shouldn't. But it's more fun to mess with you._" Mr. Nobody cackled, making Jack raise the tip of his staff. The voice sounded like a vibrating piece of metal more than a person talking. "_What are you planning to do with that? You cannot see me, thus you cannot hit me! And I can rid you of it before you could use it to begin with._"

"I'd like to see you try, Mr. _Nobody_," Jack challenged.

"_Oh, you do not wish to threaten me. I shall make your life a woken nightmare. And I prefer to be called Nob._"

Jack chuckled. "Wait—did you say '_Nob'_? Heh, there's—there's a door joke in there but," his laughter interrupted him, "I'm just—I'm just not gonna . . . It must be . . . a _touchy_ subject for you!"

"_It's _Mister_ Nob to you. And laugh all you will, but know that I am _not_ amused._"

"Alright, _Mister_," Jack laughed, "Give Jamie's mom back, and I promise I won't _twist_ you."

"_Ah, little Jamie Bennett. You are quite fond of the child, are not you? You should be careful for his sake, Jackson Overland_."

"Excuse me?" retorted Jack.

"_Yes, I know your real name, your human one. I've had my eye on you longer than you would believe._" If Jack Frost had a heartbeat, it would have skipped just then. "_I've observed all of the Guardians, but you're special, Jack. So much hurt and _so_ much pain . . ."_

Jack's eyelids narrowed to slits in anger. "What do you _think_ you know about _me_?!"

"_Everything_," Nob whispered in his ear.

"AAAAHH!" screamed Jack, sharp icicles shooting out from around him in a circle.

Black portals opened up, swallowing the ice. Jack's face switched from wrath to perplexity in a flash. The portals spun, firing the icicles back at him. He leapt out of the way just in time. Nob burst into callous laughter. "_Do you see what I can do? Don't you understand?_"

"I understand you're a bully and a monster!"

"_You flatter me, Frost! Being a monster is most preferable to being a coward who accepts allegations! Call me another name, would you?_"

"No! And if you weren't a coward, you wouldn't hide from me, or take kids' parents!"

"_What would you know about not being a coward? When Pitch came for you, you hid behind children!_"

"I didn't. They wanted to protect us."

"_Just keep telling that to yourself. Goodbye, Jack,_" he replied, dropping Jack through a portal and back into Jamie's kitchen.

"Doorknob!" Jack yelled, but it was too late—he was gone.

Jack flung his staff to the floor, enraged. His eyes were burning cold, and he frowned so intensely his mouth ached. He gritted his teeth. "Jack!" Jamie cried, and hugged the Guardian. "What happened? Are you okay? Did you meet him? Do you know where my mom is?"

"It was _him_. But I-I'm alright. I don't know where he's got your mom, but I'll find out," he said, giving Jamie a quick pat on the back.

"What's he like? Mr. Nobody."

"He's invisible. His voice is unlike anything I've ever heard—it's kind of hard to explain. And he can make magic portals."

"If he wasn't bad, he sounds like he'd be pretty cool," Jamie pondered. "Did he tell you anything about him?"

"Not really. He didn't give me enough time to ask him, either."

"What're you going to do?"

Jamie's innocent eyes were like daggers in Jack's soul. He didn't know quite _what_ to do. There wasn't much to be done. He needed to speak with Nob again, to get more information out of him. But he didn't know if Mr. Nobody would come back when Jack wanted him to.

**00000**

North had just finished thawing his frozen office with a blow-dryer when Tooth burst in. "They're gone! They're all gone!"

"Calm down, Tooth. What's gone?" he asked her, his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"The toys! They all just disappeared! And there's no way the yetis can make enough to replace them in time for Christmas! Children everywhere will stop believing!" she cried. "I was outside talking to Sandy, and when we came back in, they were gone. What are we going to do? Christmas is only a week away!"

"This is very bad. Is anything else gone?"

"I don't think so."

"_But there will be . . .,"_ Mr. Nobody muttered.

Tooth turned around. They couldn't see him, but his feet splashed in the puddles on the floor as he circled them. "I told you never come to North Pole," said North, his eyebrows furrowed. "We had contract."

"You _call it a contract. I call it rules. I've outgrown following rules, Old Man. Your newest Guardian would understand."_

"Why are you doing this?"

"_As if I would tell you! And don't be conceited enough to believe I'm doing all of this because of you. I have my reasons. You will never be the wiser. I suppose Jack hasn't yet informed you of our little . . . chat. Has he?"_

"You spoke with him?"

Nob laughed. "_It was moments ago. I must say, I am impressed with his power. But then, I already knew that. You will wish you'd never pleaded for my life."_

"I did what I thought was right. You should thank me."

"_Thank you?! I wanted to be left alone!"_

"What's he talking about, North?" the Tooth Fairy questioned.

Mr. Nobody chuckled, "_She doesn't know?! Oh, you have all been doomed before I even began_! _You must've kept it from all of them then._"

"It is long story," North responded to her.

Tooth studied North's eyes. She could see his hurt and regret. North faced the direction of Nob's voice. "Return the parents and toys, and you might be spared."

"_I'll have to pass on that one._"

Sandman blew sand at Mr. Nobody, making the outline of him visible for a moment. North snatched a knife off his desk and threw it, but Nob made a portal in front of himself, sending the blade out behind him. The Easter Bunny charged at Nob, who dropped through a portal, disappearing from wherever he came. "Crikey! That little weasel! When I get my paws on him, I'm gonna—"

"Relax," North said, picking his blade up off the floor.

"Now what?" Tooth squeaked nervously.

"Well, we can't stay here," Bunny told her. "It's not safe. But I don't think anywhere is."

"We must talk to Jack," North instructed. "He talked to Mr. Nobody."

"He did?" Tooth spat out. "Oh, no. Nob has ways of twisting minds with his words, and even though I'd trust Jack with my life, I know how he can be."

"Then let's go," Bunnymund told them, "_and_ hope Nob hasn't already done his damage."

Jack was keeping an eye on the kids when North, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny came through the front door unannounced. Jack nearly jumped in surprise; he was still on edge from his conversation with Mr. Nobody. "You couldn't knock first?!" he protested, standing up off the arm of the couch.

"We didn't have time," Bunny stated. "Nob was at the North Pole."

"Wait, w-what!?"

"Jack, he stole the toys," Tooth admitted with tears in her eyes.

Jack's eyes were beginning to sting, but he blinked the threat of tears away. "Isn't it enough that he's got hundreds of kids' parents? Why does he need to take everyone's presents, too? He's already ruined plenty of Christmases."

"He wouldn't say," North explained. "And he escaped before we could get him."

"The thief said he talked to you. Care to tell us what about?" inquired Bunnymund.

Jack lowered his head. "He didn't say much. I broke something and blamed him, and when he showed up, I think he just threatened me."

"Are you sure that's it? He didn't say anything else?"

"No," Jack lied.

He didn't want to tell them what Nob knew about him. He wasn't exactly sure why he didn't want to. Maybe it was because it was embarrassing. Maybe he thought it just wasn't important for them to know. Either way, Nob had made it personal. But what did he have against Jack? More importantly, what was North keeping from them?


	4. What's Your Center?

**Author's Note:** Just writing this made me angry! I changed the genre, but I'm not really sure how to categorize this. Anyway . . . **please review! ;)**

**Chapter 4: What's Your Center?**

Tooth turned to face North. "When were you going to tell us you knew Mr. Nobody?"

Jack's jaw dropped. "You know him? How?"

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone," North muttered, staring at the floor.

"So," Jack retorted, "that's it then? You're just—you're just going to keep this from us?"

"I made _promise_. I can't break it," defended North.

Jack gently squeezed Jamie's shoulder. "Even if it helps us save their mom?"

Jamie glanced up at North with tears forming in his eyes. North sighed. "I'm sorry. It's not my place to tell you."

"I don't believe this! How can you be so selfish?!" spat Jack.

"We keep secrets, often at the expense of others. Secrets aren't free, Jack. Keep that in mind next time you make promise. Perhaps I should have thought that when I made mine," North said shamefacedly. "The one to tell you must be him."

"You see?! This is why I _never_ wanted to be a Guardian! You're code, ethics, sense of honor, whatever—it gets in the way of any _real_ progress around here! The only thing I care about right now is the kids, and this isn't helping _anybody_."

Jack stormed out of the house, leaving his staff propped against the couch. Sandy, North, Tooth, and Bunny exchanged glances. "I'm not talking to him this time," Bunnymund told them, twirling a boomerang in his fingers.

Sandy raised his hands and shook his head. Tooth spoke up, "I'll go talk to Jack. I'd be afraid you'd attack each other if you went, North."

Jack was sitting on the fresh snow with his legs crisscrossed. His hands were stuffed in his pocket, the hood over his head. He shut his eyes so tight it scrunched the skin around them. He slowly lifted his eyelids when he felt Tooth's wings fanning his back. "They send you to reason with me?" he asked indifferently.

"No. I just wanna talk, Jack," she answered. "Are you okay?"

He blew out a puff of air in mild amusement. "Do I look okay to you?"

The Tooth Fairy sat on her knees in the snow beside him, leaning closer to see his face hidden beneath his hood. She tightened her lips in thought. "You've had better days."

He chuckled unenthusiastically. The sun was directly overhead, and children's laughter echoed from the nearby houses. "This doesn't have anything to do with what we were talking about, but . . . Why does North treat me different than you guys?"

"Umm, I suppose it's because of how you've acted in the past. You're young—well, younger than us. You're less experienced."

"So, he doesn't really trust me."

"I didn't say that."

"But I'm sure you were thinking it. No matter what I do, I have to keep proving myself to somebody. You know, even the moon still won't talk to me," he admitted, his eyes moistening.

Tooth lowered her head with a long exhale. "It was a _while_ before the moon talked to me. But you know what, Jack? The Man in the Moon has a reason for everything he does. Maybe if you look closer, you'll see it. He's way beyond us, but you just have to trust that he knows what he's doing."

"I've been staring up at him for forever. And I don't know _what_ to think right now."

Jack stretched out on his back in the snow, watching dark clouds pass over them. Tooth lied beside him. "I don't see the appeal of looking at the clouds. Hardly any of them look like teeth," she mumbled.

"That's not why they're fun to look at," Jack explained.

Tooth stood. "I'm going back inside. Are you coming?"

"Nah, I think I'm just going to chill out here. No pun intended," he replied, tucking his hands under the back of his head.

She giggled, "Alright," and fluttered inside.

The wind gusted harder, the dark gray clouds blocking out the sun's rays of light. Jack's eyelids suddenly became heavy. He closed them for a moment. Slowly standing up, he felt weak at the knees. Toppling over, he reached for something—anything—to catch himself on. His palms met the cool kiss of flat glass. He winced in shock and leapt back, falling on his rear. There was a giant mirror sticking up out of the ground. When Jack looked back at his reflection, the glass cracked. In the mirror, his skin and hair became dark as coal and his eyes glowed red. He could feel a heartbeat pounding in his chest, aching with each thump. "_Life is like fire. Once it consumes you, all that's left is blackened ash,_" Mr. Nobody's voice reverberated in Jack's ear, "_and hatred._"

Jack screamed awake, bolting upright in the now melting snow. It was dark outside, and the Guardians were clustered around him. Jamie knelt beside Jack. "Are you okay?"

Heaving a sigh of relief, he said, "I am now. How long was I out?"

"Hours. We feared you wouldn't wake," North told him.

"I don't understand. Why was I asleep? I _never_ sleep. I don't have to."

"Did you walk through Nob's portals when you met?"

"I _fell_ through one. Why?" Jack queried, rubbing his temples.

"You don't just _pass_ through Nob's portals, they pass through _you_, too," Bunny stated. "They can have some nasty side effects. I know, 'cause I've been through 'em before."

"I had—I had a nightmare. I don't know what Nob's problem is, but he doesn't like me for some reason."

When Jack searched North's eyes for an answer, North looked away. "The kids need to go to bed," he said. "You should go too, Jack."

"No. I told you, I don't sleep."

"You'll feel better. It is only remedy."

Bunnymund helped Jack to his feet. Once inside, Jack lied down on the couch, falling asleep the second his head hit the pillow.

**00000**

"Jack! Wake up!" Jamie's voice pulled him out of deep sleep.

Jack sat up, his heading spinning and his skin radiating heat. "What's wrong?"

"It's Mr. Nobody! He's outside!"

Jumping to his feet, he nearly tripped on his staff. He picked it up and sprinted to the front yard. "Jack, wait!" cried the Easter Bunny.

He was headed straight for a portal. He slid to a stop at the edge. "Keep moving!" Tooth yelled.

Jack hopped around, trying to figure out what was going on without getting sucked up. Sandy kept falling into a portal, coming out above it, and falling back in. Bunny darted faster than the portals could appear, but it was exhausting him. Another portal had formed through Tooth's middle, making her spin uncontrollably. North's legs had been transported into the ground. He hacked at the snow and dirt trying to free himself. "Stop it, Nob!" screamed Jack.

"_Why should I? This is too much fun. I think I'll keep them."_

Before Jack could blink, the Guardians were gone. "NO!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

He dropped to his knees, digging at the snow where a portal had swallowed North. "_You shouldn't have lied to them, Jack."_

"Shut up!" he screeched, shooting ice from his staff in the direction of Nob's voice. "What do you want from me!?"

"_I'm not going to give you the pleasure of knowing that."_

"What do you want!? What's your center?"

"_Ha, my center? That's for me to know, and you to never find out!"_

"What did you do with them?!"

"_Nope. I'm not going to tell you that either. Don't you get it yet? I hate questions. No one believes my answers."_

"What if I told you _I_ would?" wondered Jack, lowering his staff.

"_You're no different than them. It depends on my answer. Preconceived notions cloud judgment. You will never believe me, even if it costs you your life. In the end, you will all burn!"_

The Guardian tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it wouldn't budge. "_Look at you, Frost! You're a pathetic excuse for a Guardian. And now you can barely speak! You want an answer? The only thing I will disclose is this: I'm invisible because I do not want to be seen. Unlike you, I abhor children's gazes. The ones that saw me laughed or screamed. You wouldn't wish to see me either,"_ Nob hissed.

"How can you know for sure? I haven't seen you."

"_And I intend to keep it as such."_

"You can tell me why, why you're doing all of this. I promise I'll believe you. I can try to understand."

"_I doubt that. But it doesn't matter. You don't really matter, Jack. What can you do to help me, or anyone? Nothing,"_ Nob sighed.

Jack's grip tightened on his staff. "That's not true."

"_Oh, really? Let's have a look at what you haven't done, shall we? You didn't save Sandman from his doom at the hand of Pitch. You didn't stop the nightmares, a single child did that by himself. You didn't destroy Pitch, his own fear did. You couldn't bring Sandy back to life. You couldn't get anyone to believe in you for hundreds of years. And you couldn't even save yourself from drowning in the lake! What, you never learned to swim? The list goes on, and it is pitiful."_

Jack's face contorted in anger. "You're _such_ a liar! I can't do everything, but that doesn't mean I can't do _anything_! I _saved_ my sister! I made Jamie believe again, _and_ in me."

"_But what does it matter? Yes, you saved her. But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. The world was just fine without seeing you, and when people stop believing in you again, life will go on as it did before. You don't matter, whether or not anyone sees you. Their care for you is fleeting, because when you become an inconvenience to them, you'll just . . . _disappear_. Nothing lasts forever, Jack. Not love, not hope, not belief, not life, and not trust. What you care about most is always the first to leave. You can have your friends back—but know this, you won't have them much longer."_

A portal opened above Jack, and he slid out of the way just before the other Guardians fell out. He scrambled to his feet. "Why did you take them if you weren't going to keep them?" he asked the invisible man.

A pair of footprints appeared in the snow, crunching as they approached Jack. "_I wanted to have a moment alone with you. I expect my next visit to be received a little more enthusiastically. If not, you won't enjoy my company."_

Jack thrust his staff above the footprints, hitting something. But when Jack attempted to pull it back, it wouldn't move. "_That's no way to treat a guest,_" Nob said.

Nob released the staff, and Jack fell onto his back with the full force of his tugging. By the time Jack had gotten back up, he had the feeling Mr. Nobody was gone. The Guardians climbed out of the pile they'd landed on top of each other into. "What happened, Jack?" Bunnymund questioned.

"Nothing much," he whispered in reply.

The rising sun was soon hidden by the clouds as it had been the day before. Jack shook his head repeatedly—but no matter how much he did, he couldn't shake out the words Nob had said. '_You don't really matter, Jack. When you become an inconvenience to them, you'll just . . . disappear.'_

He blinked, teardrops collecting on his lashes. His skin still burnt with fever, but his anger distracted him from the vertigo. Jamie and Sophie rushed outside when they saw that the Guardians were alright. "Are you two okay?" Tooth asked them.

"He didn't bother us," Jamie told her.

Jack's vision was turning fuzzy and red. He held his staff with both hands, leapt into the air, and flew away. "Jack! Where're you going!?" cried Jamie.

He made it just to the edge of the lake before dropping out of the sky. He clumsily landed on the ice. He struck and stabbed it until it broke apart. Letting his staff fall out of his hand, he dove into the water. The freezing cold shocked the fever from him. His vision became clearer the longer he was under, and his head stopped spinning. Jack climbed out of the lake and sat on the ice for a moment, letting the tears stream down his cheeks. Why did every word Mr. Nobody say feel sharp as a needle and sting like lightning? Why did they pierce his soul and break his walls?

Jack stared at the ice, imagining his sister standing across from him, her eyes wide in fear. "What're you doing, Mate?" Bunny's voice asked behind him, waking him from the daydream.

Before he turned, he wiped his eyes and stiffened the muscles in his face to hide his emotions. "The ice—it helped. I don't feel sick anymore."

"Good. Jamie's got an idea how to catch Nob. If you'll get your hide back to the house, he'll tell ya," the rabbit remarked with a smirk.

"Oh, don't be a hardboiled egg, Aussie," Jack snapped, making Bunny shiver as he soared by with the bitter wind.


	5. A Game Of Farce

**Author's Note:** I'm not sure if I like this chapter or not, but I felt like the story needed an awkward fight scene. And I needed to set the stage for what's comes next. So tell me what you think! Thanks for the reviews! :)

**Chapter 5: A Game Of Farce**

Jamie was scribbling on a piece of paper when Jack and Bunny came back. "Alright, guys, I know what we can do to try to stop Mr. Nobody," Jamie said. "But I'll need some things. We'll need string, glue, tacks, spray-paint—"

"Hold up there, kid. What're you thinking?" Jack questioned and leaned on his staff, a little skeptical.

"Well, we may not be able to see him, but we can still hit him."

Jack chuckled softly. "You know, he can probably fly. That's the only way to explain why he can move without using a portal, but not leave footprints."

"That's what the string is for. Just trust me, Jack. Do you have a better idea?"

"No. I don't know what to do anymore. He's too powerful. I just—I think you've got the right idea, but I can't believe it'll work," said Jack, staring at the floor.

"What's gotten into you, Jack?" Tooth prodded. "You never give up. Come on! We can do this! Together!"

"She's got a point," Bunny joined in.

"Where are we going to get all this stuff?" Jack inquired.

Jamie put down the pencil in his hand. "There's a hardware store on First Street. And I can give you cash to leave behind. I know where my mom keeps a stash."

He ran off, coming back with a wad of dollar bills in his hands. Jamie handed the money to Jack and went back to drawing out his plans. "So, who stay with kids?" North asked.

"I can watch the little ankle biters. You go get what we'll need to stop Nob, alright?" the Easter Bunny told them.

"'Ankle biters'? I'm eleven!" complained Jamie.

"Bunny runs fast, but don't let that fool you. He's not too swift with words," Jack teased with a smirk.

"Hey, I'm twice the man you'll ever be," whined Bunnymund.

Jack laughed. "I find that hard to believe coming from a bunny rabbit, Two-Buck Teeth."

"They _are_ really pretty teeth, aren't they?" Tooth asked, gazing dreamily at Bunny's mouth.

"We go now," North ordered, nudging Jack toward the door.

**00000**

It took the four of them half an hour to find everything on Jamie's list. It might not have taken so long if there weren't so many people at the hardware store, apparently getting their last minute Christmas shopping done. And it wasn't easy trying to take things off the shelves without freaking out the customers. They couldn't use a cart either, so they struggled to carry all the items in their arms inconspicuously. As Sandy, North, Jack, and Tooth carefully toted their paper bags through the doorway of Jamie's house, Jack muttered, "Maybe we should've brought Bunny instead of you, North."

"I didn't knock over the shelves on purpose," North replied defensively.

"I know, but you barely fit in the aisles. And we could've at least dropped everything through one of Bunny's tunnels instead of carrying them six blocks," Jack moaned, setting his bags on the floor.

He collapsed on the couch, letting out a sigh of relief. Jamie came bounding down the stairs at the sound of the Guardians' return. "You're back! Good, now you can help me set up the trap," he said, smiling.

North and Sandman dashed around the house setting up strings, cords, and fans. Tooth and her fairies put tacks on the floors and set the traps. Jack iced the roof, driveway, and the stairs inside. When they'd finished turning the house into an obstacle course, they gathered in the backyard to go over the plan. "Okay, the only way this is gonna work is if we use the Guardians that can fly," Jamie explained.

Jack grinned. "I guess you'll have to sit this one out, Bunny."

Bunnymund looked daggers at him. Jamie continued, "Santa and the Easter Bunny can keep watch outside, and keep an eye on Sophie. Jack and Sandman, you need to draw him into the house." He pointed to paths lined on the crudely drawn map of the house. "Tooth Fairy, you should make sure the traps go off when you're sure Mr. Nobody's in position."

"You're a smart kid. But what do you plan on doing with yourself?" Bunny asked Jamie.

"I can be your eye in the sky. Jack, you can fly me up to the roof and—"

"No, no. Jamie," Jack interjected, crouching to face him, "I'm not gonna put you up on the roof. It's way too slippery up there now—"

"Not if you frost part of it for me. I—"

"Stop. I'm not putting you on the roof. It's not safe. Ja-Jamie, this guy's not like Pitch. He won't—he won't just go away because you're not afraid of him. He's not like us. He doesn't disappear. I can't put you in that kind of danger."

"I'll be just fine, Jack! You have to believe in me," Jamie whispered, putting his hand on Jack's shoulder.

Jack's chest ached. "Look, I know you want to help. But—but you've already done enough."

"Please? I know I'm still only a kid, but I have to do this. For you, for my mom, for myself," he begged. "I'd feel terrible if I didn't even try."

"North?" Jack questioned the Guardian.

North shook his head. "You should _not_ do this, Jamie."

"Fine," the boy mumbled, plodding off to stand by his little sister.

It was late in the afternoon, and the Guardians took their positions. "Alright, who's gonna call him?" Jack hollered out the open window.

"I might as well do it. Get this bloody mess over with," grumbled Bunny. "MR. NOBODY!"

There was a long moment of silence. Not even the wind blew. The air was eerily still and stale. And then Nob's voice broke the quiet, charging the oxygen with almost tangible electricity. "_Ready to have it another go? I am not certain you are prepared to play this game, Jack._"

Jack gripped his staff, his knuckles turning white. North and Bunny stepped closer together to protect Jamie and Sophie. Sandy floated just behind the front door, waiting expectantly for Mr. Nobody to walk right through. "Come and get me, Mr. Nob. But you have to get through Sandman first," Jack taunted, and slammed the window shut.

Sandy opened the door, his golden whips sliding out from his hands. "_You've got to be kidding me,_" Nob spat.

Nob's invisible feet crunched in the snow, leaving a trail as he approached the door. Tooth fluttered behind Jack impatiently. "Relax, Tooth," he whispered to her. "Just wait. Wait for the signal."

Sandy turned his back to Nob, blowing sand into the hallway upstairs. "That's it! Go!" cried Jack, and flew off to the top of the stairs.

Tooth stayed put, picking up a can of spray-paint from the window sill. Mr. Nobody sucked Sandman through a portal, dropping him right outside the door. "_What was the point of that?_" spat Nob with a chuckle.

Sandman shut the front door behind Nob, temporarily locking him in. Jack plunged off the top step of the staircase. He shot straight for the door. When he realized Nob had moved, he stuck out his hands to lessen the impact. He smacked into the door, but was hardly fazed. Jack almost put his feet on the floor before he remembered it was coated in glue. "_Polo!_" Nob shouted, his voice echoing from either the kitchen or upstairs—Jack couldn't tell.

"What?" Jack wondered aloud, propelling himself over and around the traps.

"_You're supposed to say Marco first. Haven't you heard of the game? I thought you wanted to play a game. I took the liberty of picking one for you._"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind."

"_Hmm? Oh, you thought you were in control of this? That was rather foolish of you, don't you think? Now say Marco._"

Jack decided to humor him for the moment. "Marco."

"_Polo!_"

He knew exactly where the sound came from, but it was too late to catch up to him. "Tooth!" he screamed a warning.

In a panic, she leapt into the hallway and sprayed paint everywhere. A streak of the paint hovered in the air. Nob shoved Tooth toward a web of string by Sophie's bedroom. When she collided with the strings, it set off a vacuum cleaner in reverse, shooting thousands of needles at her. Jack blasted a wall of ice in the way, only a couple needles getting through. Tooth looked back, but the floating paint streak was gone. "Are you hit?" asked Jack.

"No, I'm fine. But he took off!"

"MARCO!" Jack yelled, sprinting down the stairs.

Something wet touched his toes. It was paint. A trail dripped along the floor from Nob. Jack cautiously followed it, avoiding the traps. "_Polo,_" Nob said mutedly from behind him.

When Jack spun around, something slammed into his chest, throwing him back onto the glue-covered floor of the living room. His staff was flown from him upon impact. He struggled to his hands and knees, but his elbow hit a piece of wood sticking out from the side table. A fishing net fell from the ceiling as it was rigged to, landing right on top of Jack. The glue made it stick to him. It was nearly impossible for him to get it off; even harder to reach his magic staff. "Tooth!" he screamed.

A portal tossed him onto the front yard. "I'm coming Jack!" she replied, snatching a water balloon full of baking powder.

Nob's feet sunk into the snow in front of Jack. "_You're losing so soon in the game! Try harder!_"

Tooth made it out the front door, saw Nob's footprints, and chucked the water balloon. "No don't!" Jack commanded.

Mr. Nobody transported the balloon toward Jack. It burst when it hit him, coating him in white powder. It stuck to the glue on him, and wiping his eyes didn't help. He couldn't see. North darted to Jack's side to cut him loose from the net. But that gave Jamie enough time to slip away from Bunnymund's watch. "Jamie!" Sophie whined.

"Hey!" shouted Bunny.

The Easter Bunny couldn't leave Sophie, but no one else could go after him. Jamie ran to the ladder against the side of the house and climbed. "What are you doing!?" Bunny called.

"I've got a backup plan!"

By the time Jack had gotten loose and rubbed the gunk from his eyes, Jamie had reached the roof. Jack's staff was gone, but he didn't have time to go get it. "Jamie, stop!"

Jamie held onto the chimney to keep from falling off the roof. "Come get me Mr. Nobody!"

"Jamie, no!" cried Jack, stumbling to his feet.

He held his breath. He saw a dark, humanoid figure flicker on the roof and disappear. Nob must have said something to Jamie, because he took a step away from the chimney. Jamie's foot slipped on the wet ice, and he fell. "NO!" Jack shrieked, zooming to catch his friend.

A portal swallowed Jamie, safely setting him on the snow by Sophie. Nob transported the Guardians into the house. All their traps went off at once, binding, gluing, and incapacitating them. It was as if the house vomited on them. "_How would you like to score that?_" Nob badgered. "_I would say I've won!_"

Jack rolled onto his back, every muscle in his body aching. He pulled the plastic wrap and feathers off his face. He wriggled out of the ropes, pulled a couple thumbtacks out of his arm, and carefully stood up in the mess. The other Guardians were buried in even more layers of debris than he'd been. "_So, what do I get? I've beaten you at your own game!_" jeered Mr. Nobody.

"What do you want?"

"_To show you something,_" he hissed.

Jack fell—and he was surrounded by darkness.


	6. Family

**Author's Note:** Thanks, I feel so much better now about the last chapter! Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for my readers and your support. And that Jack Frost has been cooling off my neighborhood earlier than usual this time of year. **Please review!**

**Chapter 6: Family**

Jack Frost was lying on his back on the cold, hard ground; there was nothing but black as far as his eyes could see. He sucked in shallow breaths as he sat up, rubbing the side of his jaw that had hit the ground when he fell. "_Hit your head on the way down, did you?_" Nob queried, his voice colder than ice and sharper than a knife.

"Where am I?" Jack asked quietly, the darkness seeming to press against his skin.

Thousands of multicolored lights lit up above them, revealing a never-ending room full of piles of trinkets, garbage, and broken relics. "_You're in the Void, a blank space of reality created by my portals. Go on, have a look about, Frost._"

Jack stood. He did a slow spin to take everything in. He cautiously stepped closer to a pile of junk as tall as a mountain. Something caught his eye; a broken picture frame with a photo of a smiling family inside it. He picked it up to get a better look. "What is all this stuff?" he inquired.

"_People's forgotten memories and discarded dreams. I collect the scraps of minds and hearts, the remnants of lives. I find them, and I bring them here._"

"Why? You never struck me as the sentimental type, Mr. Twisty," Jack mocked.

"_Of course, make your door jokes. But you won't be in such a mood when I tell you more._"

"Oh, yeah?" he provoked, letting the picture frame drop to the floor and break.

"_I don't like when people mess with my things,_" Mr. Nobody spat.

"That's funny, because you don't seem to care that you're messing with other people's _lives_."

"_You are not wrong there._" He paused. "_Do you see that, behind you?"_

Jack turned. Two ice skates were neatly propped up on top of a rotten cardboard box. His throat tightened and his chest became constricted. Those were _his_ ice skates. He recognized the worn brown leather and the strings that were tied together. They look just like they had when he'd left them behind on the frozen lake. "_She never went back out onto that lake after you fell in,_" Nob told him, "_but she never got rid of your skates."_

"What do you know about my sister?" Jack growled, his eyes starting to sting.

The lights above them pulsated, Jack's snow white hair reflecting their changing colors. "_I already explained to you, Jack. I know everything about you . . . including your little sister,_" answered Nob.

Jack's fists clenched, his fingernails digging crescent marks into his palms. He wanted to blast Nob with his staff, but that was left behind at Jamie's house. "What else do you know?"

"_I know she loved you. But she got over you. She got married, and had children, who had children of their own. When I stole your ice skates, she didn't even notice they were gone. I doubt she would have missed them, had she known._"

"How do you know everything about me, or her?"

"_Now that is the right question! I know because I was there. I saw you fall into that lake. I saw your sister cry. I watched her run home to tell your mother what happened to you. I watched you, in the town, and was glad that there was someone else like me—someone who was all alone, unseen, unwanted, unloved. I saw you walk right past your grieving sister the next day, completely oblivious to who she was! It was SO sad!"_ Nob sniveled, his tone disdainful.

"Why!? Why do you care!?" Jack shouted. "I don't even know you!"

"_Ah, but I know you! Now, who's deepest, darkest secrets do you want to know next, huh? Sandy's, North's—_"

"I don't wanna know!"

". . . _Tooth's, Bunny's—_"

"STOP!"

Jack clamped his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear what Nob had to say. Not because he _wouldn't_ believe what he said, but because he was afraid he _would_. A pair of invisible hands pried Jack's arms away from his head. He struggled against the pressure. "Let go of me!" he cried. "I don't care what you have to say about my friends!"

Nob released his grip. "_Your friends? They're not your friends! You don't think they _really_ care about you, do you?!_"

"Yes, I do!"

"_They immediately blamed you for what Pitch did to the Easter eggs! Some friends you have there!_"

"Why do you keep bringing up the past?!"

"_Because . . . If you do not know your history, you are doomed to repeat it! What makes you think their attitude toward you has changed, Jack!? Just the other day you said you didn't think North trusts you!_"

Jack blinked back tears. "H-h-how do you know what I said?"

"_I was there. Never think you're alone, because that is when I will be right behind you. You have NO secrets to me, Jack Frost. But I have a whole world of them that you'd be shocked if you knew!_"

Jack screamed and kicked a pile of trash. "Just leave me ALONE!" His voice dropped to a whisper, "Please. Just give back the toys and the kids' parents. I'll do anything."

"_Oh, I do love to hear you say that. Anything? Leave me be and I'll let you keep Jamie and Sophie to yourself._"

"You know that's not what I meant!"

"_I know, I know. But I'm not offering anything more. Take what you can get, or have nothing at all!_"

"I don't want anything for myself. I want you to give back what you stole!"

"_That's not true. Everyone wants something for themselves._"

"That's it! We're done here. I'm leaving!" Jack retorted, storming off into the distance.

He could hear Nob's feet jogging to catch up. "_We're not done until I say we are! Sit down!_" Mr. Nobody ordered, shoving Jack to the floor. "_Everyone always must put up a fight. Mrs. Bennett was bad about that—she and her ridiculous dog._"

"Fine, tell me! I don't care anymore! Just say it! Just tell me what you wanna say! Get this over with," Jack caved, his jaw aching from being clenched so tightly.

"_I want you to join me. Save yourself from the nightmare I will unleash on the world! I can use your help. You and I, we're like family. You could have whatever your heart desires!_"

"NO! I will NEVER join _you_!"

"_Fine, but know . . . Jamie Bennett is your distant, blood relative. I want you to think about that when I send you back. He's the only part of your sister you have left. And I'm going to take him from you._"

Jack snatched the nearest sharp object around him and thrust it at Mr. Nobody, startled that it actually stuck. Nob grunted in pain, pulling out the shard of broken glass and tossing it to the floor. He shrieked in rage. He dropped Jack through a portal and back to Jamie's house.

When Jack landed on the now clean living room floor, he saw that Jamie was fast asleep on the couch. Tooth fluttered into the room, nearly jumping in surprise. "Jack!" she whispered. "What happened? You were gone for almost two days!"

"What? I thought I was gone for only about an hour. Where'd everyone else go?" he wondered, noticing how quiet and empty the house was.

"The yetis called North back to the Pole. It's getting worse, Jack. Mr. Nobody's returning all children's Christmas letters back to their homes. More and more kids stop believing in North every hour! He's trying to figure out another way to read the letters before their disbelief hurts him too much. Sandy's trying to help with dreams, but I don't think it's going to work! And Bunny can't collect all the letters before Christmas by himself!" she expounded so fast Jack struggled to keep up.

"Alright, calm down. We'll—we'll—" he couldn't finish his sentence.

Jack picked up his staff and sprinted from the house, collapsing onto his knees in the dirty, day old snow. Panic seized him like a disease. He was going to assure Tooth that they'd beat Nob, and that everything would be okay, but he didn't believe that himself. Tears gushed from his eyes as he sobbed into his hands. He could feel it—feel that every time Nob talked to him, it dug deeper under his skin. He didn't know why. He began to wonder if his own disbelief in himself would make him cease to exist. He almost wished he'd stayed at the bottom of the lake where he belonged. Jack's head was soaking up the lies that something in his heart was trying to protect him from.

He wiped his face on his blue sleeve when he heard Tooth come outside. "Jack, I'm sorry I babbled like that. I'm not trying to make you feel worse. It's—it's gonna be okay, I'm sure it is. Even if kids don't believe in us, we can believe in ourselves, right?" she tried to comfort him.

"I-I can't believe in myself. You shouldn't believe in me either."

"Jack, don't say that! I will never stop believing in you! We're your family now. What's wrong with you?"

The December wind whipped his face, but that didn't cheer him up as it usually did. A lump formed in his throat, making it hard to speak. "I—Nob, he—he said some things. The scary thing is, I think . . . I believe him," admitted Jack, his head beginning to hurt.

"No, no, no, no. You can't believe anything he says! You have to fight his words, fight them! He's a liar."

"He's not the only one."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You know what it means," he snapped, all his anger bubbling to the surface. "North's lying to us by not telling us what he knows about Nob!"

"Jack! That's not fair—"

"And you—all of you—pretend like you're okay with me being a Guardian, but I know you're not! No one trusts me, not really."

"Stop, it's—!"

"No, you don't understand!" More tears came; this time he didn't try to hold them back. "Nob's going to take Jamie and Sophie! You're probably going to blame me, but I'll blame myself too!"

"Jack, he plants seeds of doubt in everybody he meets. You have to deny your doubt. Those thoughts are from him, not you. We love you, Jack. We wouldn't hurt you."

He took a deep, shaky breath. "But I've been lying to all of you. The other times Nob spoke to me, I told you he didn't say much. It was a lie. The truth is . . . he knows _everything_ about me—about _all_ of us. Whatever he's planning is going to be _big_, and we don't even stand a chance."

"You have to tell North what's going on."

"Me? What? I—no, I don't think I should—"

"Just go! We don't have time to argue!"

Without another word, Jack rode the wind up above the clouds.

**00000**

It was sunny at the North Pole when Jack Frost got there, and the light made him feel a little safer than midnight in Burgess just moments ago. He rushed into the toy factory, nearly being run over by the yetis that rampaged around the room in a hurry. Jack gazed in horror at the giant globe in the center of the room. A couple little lights went out every so often. "Jack! You are okay!" cried North, who hurried over.

North picked Jack up off the floor and gave him a rough squeeze. "Ow! You can put me down now!" Jack protested. When he was set back down, he checked his ribcage for damage. "I came here because we need to talk. Actually, you need to tell me something."

"What is that?" he asked, and set his knuckles on his hips.

Jack nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "Uh, I know y-you're gonna get mad when I ask you, but, uh . . . What do you know about Mr. Nobody?"

"Why you ask? I said I can't—"

"I know, you made a promise, but we deserve to know the truth! Nob knows everything about all of us. He said he was _there_ when I fell in the lake, and because I told him I wouldn't join him he's going to kidnap Jamie."

North lowered his head with a sigh. "I never wanted to do this. But I see I must tell truth. Come with me."

Jack gave North a confused glance and hesitantly followed him into his office.


	7. I Told You So

**Author's Note:** I know I took like twice as long to post this, but I hope that's okay! What with Thanksgiving and a little writer's block, I've needed the extra time to think. But yay, it's December now! The month of my birth and my favorite holiday—Christmas! **Please review! Thanks! ;P**

**Chapter 7: I Told You So**

North locked his office door, sat at his desk, and rummaged through its drawers. Jack watched anxiously. "So, what were you going to tell me?" he asked, his patience slipping with each drawer North searched.

"Ah-ha! I found it," he exclaimed, pulling out a weathered key.

"A rusty old key? What's that for?"

North walked to a shelf hanging on the wall. He gingerly lifted a small chest off of it. Jack's eyes fixed on it as North jiggled the key until the decorative box unlocked. A little velvet pouch was in the center of the chest. North held it out and poured its contents into Jack's open palm. A cloud of dust and a tooth fell out. Jack closed his fingers around the dusty tooth. When he glanced up at North unsurely, North's image began to fade away, taking everything else in view with it. North gave an approving nod in reply to the look of worry on Jack's face.

The North Pole was soon gone, leaving Jack alone in the woods at dusk. The fog was so thick he could feel it in his lungs. It was heavy and hard to breathe. Dark gray clouds swirled above him. He looked off into the distance, spying a shaded human figure on the ground behind a tree. He sprinted toward the stranger, and as he got closer, it became easier to see. A young teenage boy was lying on his back, barely breathing. Frayed rope littered the ground around him. Jack knelt down, wanting to help the child. A large hand touched the boy's chest. Jack jumped back. His eyes widened when he saw it was only North. North had tears in his eyes as he carefully held the boy in his arms. The kid's chest rose and fell for one last time. North could no longer hold back his tears, and Jack's eyes started to sting. "William," North sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

Jack reached out to touch North's shoulder, but his hand went right through it like a ghost. North lifted up his face to the darkened sky, tears streaming down his face. "Please, please don't leave him like this! Please! I can show him how to be like us," he begged the moon, "how to be Guardian."

Tears were blocking out Jack's vision almost as much as the fog. A beam of blue moonlight broke the clouds, enveloping the boy. He floated up into the air and his skin began to glow gold. The glow was blindingly bright, but when it stopped, Jack was back inside the office at the North Pole. Jack unfurled his fingers to stare at the tooth. "That—that's it? That's all?" he asked.

North leaned against his desk. "That is only tooth I have. He stole others."

"So, what happened? What happened to William?" Jack wondered, his eyes pleading for an explanation.

"I knew him. He was _always_ on the Nice List. The last letter he sent to me he asked for his safety. He seemed to think he was in danger. But by the time I got there, it was too late. I tried to save him, but he was gone. I asked Man in Moon to bring him back. And he did. William is the Mr. Nobody."

"I-I d-don't understand. Mr. Nobody's voice—he sounds like a grown-up. How could _he_ be _that_ kid?"

"It's a trick. He doesn't want to believe he is still child. And he doesn't want anyone else to know what he really is."

Jack scanned the floor in thought. "If he was a good kid, then where'd he go wrong?"

"He wasn't the same as before. He didn't like me. He was a lot like you. He wanted to do his own thing. But he couldn't have what he wanted. He wanted to stay gone forever."

"He didn't want the moon to bring him back? Is that why he hates you so much?"

North nodded slowly. "His center is hate. He always holds grudge. But he was like _son_ to me. He used to call me Nick. Now I am nothing to him."

"I'm sorry."

Jack was sad, but he also wanted to scream. North had done probably the nicest thing he could for Nob, and this is how he was repaid: with chaos. But now Jack knew just where to hit Mr. Nobody to make it count. If he couldn't stop Nob from kidnapping Jamie and Sophie, maybe he could bargain for them. Jack would do anything, including give his life. Maybe he could reach in and pull out that kid Nob tries so hard to hide. Jack needed to get back to the house. "I should—"

"I know," North cut him off. "Go."

Jack flashed a grateful smile before leaping out the window.

**00000**

"When is Jack coming back?" Jamie asked the Tooth Fairy.

"Soon, I hope," she replied.

"Jack Frost!" cried Sophie.

"I know. We all miss him," Tooth stated.

"No! Jack Frost," Sophie shouted louder, and pointed out the window.

Tooth opened the door with a smile on her face. "You're back! I was starting to get worried about you."

"I was fine, really. I learned quite a lot, actually," Jack told her. "We're not fighting who you think. Nob's just an insecure little kid. I-I still don't know what he really wants, but I think I have a better chance of getting it out of him now."

"He's—he's a little kid?"

"Well, he's not exactly a _little_ kid, but he acts like one. And he's _not _an adult."

"So, that means North broke his promise, didn't he?"

"_I had a feeling that might happen_," Nob spoke out of nowhere.

Jack held up his staff, ready to ice blast him if necessary. "What do you want now? If you came back for the kids, you can't have them."

"Wait, w-why would Mr. Nobody want _us_?" Jamie inquired.

"Because you're my family," Jack answered. "What's the matter, Nob? Don't have your own?"

"_On the contrary_," Nob retorted. "_Family is overrated. I simply want to steal what you care about most._"

"I know who you really are," Jack spat, "William."

"_Oh, you think that impresses me? I'm not William anymore. I am his better. I cannot believe I ever thought he was me. This is who I have been all along. So go on, make another jab! See if I care._"

"You're just a kid. I don't know why that fact bothers you—maybe because you never got to grow up. And I don't know why you have so much hate in your heart, but don't take it out on us. North was just trying to—"

"_Trying to do the right thing, blah, blah. I've heard it all before. People should just STOP trying! You cannot talk me out of this. I said I would take your little friends. I told you so!_"

Before Jack could flinch, Jamie and Sophie were gone. "No! Wait!" Jack protested. "Can't we make a deal?!"

"_What sort of deal?_" Nob questioned slowly. "_Not that I could possibly except whatever you would have to offer._"

"Take me instead."

"_Why_?"

"Because—because they're just kids."

"_Ah, but you said _I_ am just a kid. Isn't that a double standard? Don't I deserve to be treated special, too?_"

"Look, haven't you done enough already? When will it end?"

"_Perhaps never. But I'll have a think about your offer. Until then, how about I counter? If you will leave me alone to do whatever I please, you can have not only the kids back, but you can see your family again—your _real_ family._"

"What? You can't—you can't do that. It's impossible."

A black portal opened in front of them. The darkness faded to the frozen lake. Jack could see himself, and his sister, standing on cracking ice. "How . . .?"

"_My portals don't work solely through space, but they can through time as well._"

Jack took a step toward the portal. "Jack," Tooth warned, tugging his hood. "Don't listen to him."

"_Oh, silence, Fairy,_" Nob said, making her disappear.

The scene changed, and Jack was looking at his sister a few years later. "_I can send you back to whatever time you want. You can see her again, or your mother, or anyone else you might have known,_" Mr. Nobody flaunted.

"I can't. I can't," Jack whispered, mainly to himself.

"_But you could see her again! Don't you love her?_"

"I do, but—but she's . . ."

"_What? Not alive anymore? That didn't stop you. What's stopping you now, Jack? You could save yourself. You can have a real life! North doesn't ever have to know._"

"No. It's not the right thing to do." Jack hesitated before he spoke again. "North—he said you were like a son to him. You called him Nick. I-I don't know what happened to you to make you hate _everybody_ so much, but please, don't hate him. He still cares, you know. _I_ care."

"_Well, I don't. Accept my offer or I am finished here._"

"Why do you have so much hate? What did anyone ever do to you? Why did you tell Nick you were in danger?"

"_Shut up._"

Jack could tell he'd pinched a nerve by the tension in Nob's voice. Now all he had to do was press harder. "That's it, isn't it? That's where the hate comes from. Who was it? Who did this to you?"

"_No. Stop. They . . ._"

"They?"

Tooth was suddenly thrown on top of Jack, but when he scrambled to his feet, they were left alone in the silence of an empty house. Jack sank to his knees on the floor, letting his staff slip out of his grasp. Tears welled up in those icy pools for eyes as he let his head fall forward and hang from his shoulders. "This is my fault," he sobbed, a few teardrops dripping onto his lap.

"There's nothing you could've done," Tooth said, also with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Jack. We'll get him. I promise."

"Why wasn't there something I could've done? There's always something! I don't understand. And I'm tired of saying that!"

"There's gotta be a way to stop him. I'm sure we'll find it in time."

"We would already know if the Man in the Moon had just told us. I mean, if he's the one in charge, why doesn't he just give the orders?"

"That's not really how it works, Jack. We wouldn't learn anything if he always told us what to do and how to do them."

Jack lied down on the couch and closed his reddened eyes. At the moment, there was nothing to be done, and the effects of Nob's portals still made him weary enough to sleep. He was asleep for what seemed like an eternity when he was awoken by the sound of a violent thunderstorm. Jack blinked, his tired eyes feeling almost numb in their sockets. Lightning flashed right outside the window, making thunder crash instantly. The wind pelted snow and hail against the side of the house. Jack picked up his staff off the floor where he'd left it, looked around to find Tooth asleep on the rug, and snuck out the front door. He shot into the sky, flying up over the clouds to stare at the solemn-faced moon. The whipping wind held him hovering. "Please, say something. They need you! I need you. I just wanna do the right thing! But I don't know what that is anymore! We can't beat him if we can't see him or stand a chance fighting against him! Agh!" he shouted.

He let himself drop as the wind changed direction, diving straight toward the street. He pulled up before he touched down. He glanced up at the hazy light where the moon was hidden behind storm clouds. He waited there, snowflakes collecting in his hair and eyelashes, not expecting the Man in the Moon to utter a single word. But then he did.


	8. The Moon And Father Cuckoo Clock

**Author's Note: **I probably won't update until after Christmas, so merry Christmas! You guys have been _amazing_! **Please review!**

**Chapter 8: The Moon And Father Cuckoo Clock**

"Jack," a smooth, soft voice spoke from the heavens.

Lifting his gaze to the sky, Jack held his breath. The sound of the storm waned as the clouds drifted away, the light of the moon falling on his skin. A blue beam of light burst from the moon, and a figure appeared before him. It was a man. He stood almost a whole foot taller than Jack, with pearlescent silver skin, shiny midnight blue hair, and eyes black as the night sky. "You—you're—," Jack stuttered.

"I'm the Man in the Moon," he replied, the tone of his buttery voice turning playful.

The Moon smiled, slipped his hand into one of the pockets on his gold tuxedo, and pulled out an antique light bulb. He spun the rounded end on his fingertip, but caught it before it fell. "Do you want to see a trick?"

With a ridiculous grin on his face, Jack said, "Sure."

The Man in the Moon spun the metal end of the light bulb on his pinky finger and it lit up with a warm, candle-like glow. His skin reflected the light back ten times stronger, Jack having to shield his eyes until the light went out. Jack chuckled. "W-what are you doing here?"

The man tucked the bulb safely back into his pocket. "You said it yourself before; you need my help."

Jack's smiled faded. "Why now? It's been a long, long time since you brought me back to life. You couldn't have said _anything_ between then and now?"

"Ever since my human life ended, I've been trapped up there," he answered, glancing at the moon. "And unlike you, I don't disappear when kids stop believing in me. I can only come down to Earth when the world is at stake."

"Why didn't you do something when Pitch—"

"His actions wouldn't have destroyed the world. Only children's belief. But Mr. Nobody threatens the world's physical safety. I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you. I reflect the sun, and it never says a word. Actions speak louder than words, anyway."

"What about you? Who were you before you were a Guardian?"

"I was Tsar Lunar XII, but you can call me Manny like North tends to. My family was attacked by Pitch Black, and Mother Nature resurrected me to be a light in the darkness to watch over the children of the world. I would keep them safe from his nightmares."

"How can you help me? At this point, I don't think anything or anyone can."

Manny put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Don't lose faith! I know someone who can help you. Just promise you won't laugh when I tell you who."

Jack looked up. "Why would I laugh?"

"Because you think he's a joke."

"Who is it? Cupid? Or the leprechaun? The Easter Bunny? Oh, I know, is it—?"

"Father Time! It's Father Time."

"Father _Cuckoo Clock_?" Jack laughed, "Oh, no. I-I don't want to ask him for help!"

"Why not? I delight in his company."

"Because he's a nut! Cupid told me all about him. I heard he's insane and never stops saying 'Tick-tock, tick-tock.'"

Manny chuckled. "And you trusted Cupid? You said you thought he was a joke."

"Cupid's crazy. If _he_ thinks someone else is crazy, then they must be."

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense." He pulled a rolled up parchment from his jacket pocket and gave it to Jack. "This map will help you find Father Time. Be careful though, it changes."

"Changes?"

Jack unrolled the paper to reveal a worn out, hand painted map. The pictures stayed the same, until he looked up at Manny for a second. Then everything on it was in different places. "If this never stays the same, how am I supposed to find him?"

"You see, time is relative. You can kill time, it can fly, slow down, or stop, and each time the map's holder changes their perspective of time, the map changes with it. What were you thinking when you glanced up at me?"

"I was thinking we're wasting time while Nob's destroying kids' lives."

"See, look." Manny pointed to the gold star on the map. "It'd take you millennia to get there. It's showing you the longest route. Also, the location itself changes physically."

Jack sighed. "Why? That seems kinda dumb."

The Man in the Moon shrugged. "Ask him. I better get going now, Jack Frost. I hope I don't have to see you again soon—it would have to be pretty bad down here for that. Goodbye!"

Jack smiled and waved as Manny floated up into the sky and vanished. He checked the map again. It changed; he was running out of time.

**00000**

After explaining what he witnessed to the Tooth Fairy, she and Jack set off for Father Time's Rift—his castle protected in a pocket outside of time itself. They flew toward the eastern side of the globe, Tooth's wings losing strength with each hour of their flight. "Are you alright?" Jack asked, slowing to glide at her side.

She huffed as she pumped her wings. "I—I'll be—fine. The side effects of Mr. Nobody's portals have taken their toll on all of us. Still, it's not as bad as children's disbelief is on North. While you were outside talking with Manny, the fairies brought word of his condition. I don't think he'll make it to Christmas Eve."

"I don't think _we'll_ make it to Christmas Eve. I'm—I'm trying _really hard_ not to think about time, but—but I can't help thinking what Nob's doing to Jamie every second he has him. The map is flying us around in circles because of it."

Tooth frowned at the hopelessness on Jack's face. "Hey, don't think about that. I know it's hard, but we'll save them—all of them. Have a little more faith in yourself, Jack," she consoled. "Christmas Eve is in two days. There's still time, for now. Just remind yourself that every second you spend worrying about Jamie is another second wasted. Jamie wouldn't want you to worry. He'd want you to be strong—for _all_ the children."

As positive thoughts of Jamie filled Jack's head, the ever-changing map steadied out. The gold star on the map that pointed to the Rift was only a few minutes of flying distance from their current location. "It's just up ahead!" he exclaimed, his hope soaring with a sudden gust of wind.

They glided down to a small forest of Japanese cherry blossom trees. The star on the map was right where a deep well sat in a circle of trees. Jack stuffed the parchment back inside his pocket and stepped closer. He shot a blast of glowing frost down the well to see how far it was to the bottom. It never stopped, but kept falling until it was no longer visible. "Wow. That's a _long_ way down," he said, his voice echoing in the well. He faced Tooth. "Ladies first."

Tooth shot a glare at him before dropping in. Jack laughed and leaped in after her. He looked up as he descended, the hole of light at the top shrinking into darkness. As soon as the light disappeared, he felt the strange sensation of weightlessness. There was a burst of multicolored light and there it was—the Rift. They floated in what looked like outer space, with a giant glass castle resting on a fluffy white cloud. But the glass wasn't clear; it was reflective like a mirror. "It's _so_ _beautiful_," Tooth sighed.

The castle pulled them closer, like gravity. Their feet safely came to rest on the silver and gold walkway to the front door. "What do we do now?" she wondered.

Jack gazed up at the incredibly high double doors, then back at her. "Knock, I guess," he replied with a halfhearted shrug.

He hesitantly lifted his fist to the dark wood, rapped on it a few times, and pulled his hand away warily. The doors swung open with a loud creak. Jack and Tooth wandered around inside, their mouths agape at the ridiculously high ceilings, intricately embroidered carpet, and crooked walls that were surprisingly stable. Twisted columns supported the inverted dome ceiling. They followed a spiral staircase up to a door marked "Father Time" in every known language of the world and more. The carved words covered the whole front of the door. This time Tooth knocked, but when the door opened, they were met with the figure of a young child. "Dad! The Guardians are here to see you just like you said!" the raven-haired little girl hollered, and sprinted down the stairs.

"Veronica!" a man scolded.

Tooth pushed the door open the rest of the way. A middle-aged man with long salt-and-pepper hair sat slouched over at a rotting wooden desk, a gray robe tied around him. "Father Time?" asked Tooth.

"Hmm? Take my advice—don't have kids. I've had hundreds. They never last long. I keep losing them. I don't know where they go either, they just vanish. She's not coming back. I've already seen it. There's no possible future where she does."

"_Okay_," Jack muttered, observing the collection of clocks in the room. Each clock had a different time. Some ticked faster or slower than others. "You knew we were coming?"

"Yes," Father Time answered.

He combed back his hair with his fingers, revealing his dark brown, almond-shaped eyes. His olive skin was marked with age spots, but his face didn't look a day over forty years old. "There are only ten futures I saw yesterday that had you two make it up here. In one of the others, you were eaten by my pet dragon. You didn't run into him on the way up, did you?"

"Um, no," Jack replied slowly.

Father Time sighed in relief. "Oh, good. You'd get trapped in the Void in that timeline."

"I know you're Father Time, but what's with all the clocks?"

"Each one tells me where a person's at in their life. When their time runs out, I send Death to take their souls—except in the cases of the Guardians when Manny brings them back. Death doesn't like Manny much because of that. Every immortal's clock spins unceasingly the moment they return to life. In case this is the timeline where you ask . . . Yes, I see the past, present, and the future plus all of their possibilities. Oh, watch your head, Son!"

Jack ducked, avoiding decapitation by a giant metal clock soaring through the air. Father Time smiled. "Sorry, new lives wait for no man—or Guardian. You need my help to stop William?"

"Mr. Nobody, yeah," Jack corrected.

"Well, I know him better as William, even if that's not who he chooses to be. Check your hoodie pocket, Jackson. I suspect Veronica planted your gift on you."

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a paisley glasses case. "What is it?"

"Don't open it yet! When you encounter William again, _then_ you use it. I'm not as crazy as you think."

"How do you know I thought you were crazy?"

"In one future, you tell me so."

"Well, for what it's worth, you don't seem so crazy after all. And I feel bad for you, really."

Father Time wrapped his arms around Jack in a concerned, fatherly hug. "Whatever you do, don't touch William's skin. It _can_ and _will_ unleash a force on your soul that is greater than the power within yourself."

Jack nodded, and reluctantly pulled away from Father Time's comforting embrace. "I hope you get Veronica back. There might be a possible future you've missed," Jack suggested.

"We can always hope, can't we?" Father Time asked, beginning to tinker with a broken watch.

Jack smiled, and Tooth pulled him out the door. If she hadn't, he didn't know if he'd ever leave that room. Father Time had a sort of gravity of his own—a warm vibe that makes anyone feel safe. And now, Jack was almost certain he'd win, or meet Death trying.


	9. Raging Fire

**Author's Note:** I'm back! I know this chapter is shorter than usual, but I decided to split it where I did because there's only one more chapter left. Thank you! **Please review!**

**Chapter 9: Raging Fire**

When Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy found their way out of the Rift, the sunlight was fading on the horizon in Japan. "How much time do you think we have?" Jack asked her.

"I don't know. Christmas Eve is tomorrow. If we don't stop Nob before noon tomorrow, last Christmas will have been the last one," she whispered solemnly.

Jack took her hand as they flew toward the North Pole. The Pole was being hit with a fierce blizzard at their arrival. The sides of the building were cracking as ice formed on it. Tooth gasped. "What's going on?" Jack wondered.

"The magic—it's fading. And darkness is taking over."

Jack clenched his jaw and burst through the door. "North!" he called. "North!?"

The yetis were panicking, frantically rushing around. A group of them clustered around something. Jack pushed his way through to have a look. He dropped to his knees at the sight of North collapsed on the floor. "North? No!" he cried.

North lifted his head with an aching groan. "You must stop him, Jack. I can't hold much longer."

His breaths were shallow, and Jack took his hand. "I will, I swear. I think I can do it now. Father Time gave me this," he assured North, lifting the glasses case out of his pocket.

"_Well, well, what have we here?_" Mr. Nobody asked, yanking the case out of Jack's hand.

Jack shot to his feet, raising his staff. "GIVE THAT BACK!"

"_Or what?_" taunted Nob.

Tooth hovered beside Jack, balling her fists. Nob opened the case, letting out an unsettling chuckle at what he saw. "_What do you think you'll do with a pair of reading glasses?!_"

"W-What? R-Reading glasses?" stuttered Jack, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

Nob tossed the case, the glasses bouncing across the floor and coming to a stop at Jack's feet. Jack bent to pick them up. "I-I don't understand," he muttered, turning them in his fingers. "They just look like plain old glasses. He really was crazy."

He glanced at Tooth, who looked back concernedly. "_What a pity. For a second I thought you could actually stand a chance. I suppose it was silly of me to think that. Oh, but now—now I can have what I wanted all along!_"

Only half of Nob's words absorbed into Jack's brain; he was remembering what Father Time had said, _'When you encounter William again, then you use it. I'm not as crazy as you think.'_ Jack lifted up his head. He put on the glasses, every color in the room changing hues. He could see the stars in outer space through the building and the earth. Tooth, North, and Jack himself glowed with a brilliant white light, while a dark blurred form in the distance had to have been Mr. Nobody. A smile spread across Jack's face uncontrollably. Nob's pitch black form lifted its hands. A gray portal was visible under Jack's feet, but he didn't fall in. He hopped out of the way, the glasses case falling in a second later. Jack gasped. "They really work!" he exclaimed.

He could see where Nob's portals were forming before they split the fabric of space. "_Impossible!_" screeched Nob, flailing his misty arms in the air like a child throwing a tantrum.

A portal began to form on the wall, and when it opened, Jack could see right where it led. Jamie and Sophie were bound and gagged inside. He followed Mr. Nobody through the hole. "Jack!" hollered Tooth as the portal closed behind him.

"Whoa!" Jack yelled as he began to fall. He managed to hook his staff on a wire hanging in the nothingness, Nob's piles of discarded dreams seemed miles below. "That was close."

He could see two squirming specks down below—Jamie and Sophie. Sophie screamed. Jack swung himself off the wire and toward one of the piles. He fell and fell until he landed on a trashcan lid and sledded down to the ground. His heart leapt within his chest when he skidded to a halt. "Jamie!"

Nob lifted Jamie into the air, one arm wound tightly around his neck. "_If you want him, come and get him!_"

"No," Jamie protested. "Jack, don't! It's a trap!"

"I know, Jamie. You have to trust me." He turned to Nob's smeared figure. "If you let them go, I'll stay here . . . with you. _Please_, I know that's what you want. Isn't it?"

Nob set Jamie down, pondering the deal. "_Alright, but you must give up those glasses._"

Jack clenched his teeth and slowly took off Father Time's glasses. He tossed them into a pile of Nob's treasures. Nob untied the kids, who ran to hug Jack. "Jack! I knew you'd come back for us! Why did you make a deal with him?"

"To protect you. It's my job to keep you safe."

"But you have to come back with us! You can't stay here with _him_!"

"I'm sorry, Jamie."

A portal opened under the kids, pulling them down and back home. "NO!" shrieked Jamie, reaching for Jack as he fell.

With tears in his eyes, Jack watched his friends leave the Void. A cage of fire suddenly burst out of nowhere, entrapping Jack. The flames jumped to his staff. He tossed it away before the fire could burn his hand. He knelt down to reach between the bars of flame for it, but his fingertips came up short. He stared hopelessly at his singed staff as it cracked and popped under the heat. Jack's face contorted in anger, and he slammed the side of his fist into the ground. Blue, red, green, purple, yellow, white; the overhead lights pulsated so fast it was making him sick. He held back the urge to vomit. A black boot stepped on Jack's magic staff, putting out the fire. Jack's eyes trailed up from the foot. A brown pant leg met a torso with arms and a head. Jack gasped. Mr. Nobody looked thirteen years old. His hair was gunmetal gray, his skin a sickly pale green with small dragon-like scales. The whites of his eyes were fire red, his irises jet black. "Go ahead, scream," William suggested, his voice like a normal child's instead of its usual metallic, inhuman sound.

Jack didn't say a word. "You must want to, now that you have witnessed me as I truly am," Nob spat.

Something around Nob's neck caught Jack's eye. A textured scar encircled his neck. The pattern was eerily familiar, but Jack couldn't place it at first. "What happened to you?" he asked hesitantly.

William crouched in front of Jack's cage, a look of hurt settling into his eyes. "I used to have a family—as you did. I had a mother, father, and brother. I went to a school with the twenty other kids in the little village I lived in. I was a really good kid. I usually did as I was told, but I couldn't say the same for my brother. You see, my brother and I liked to play with fire as children. I grew out of it when I was twelve, but not him. One night when he snuck out of our house, I followed him to a barn in our neighbor's farm. I spied on him through the crack in the door. He made a small fire with a couple rocks and a bucket of hay. Before I could stop him, the fire got out of control and spread everywhere. The hay burned so fast. I pulled him away from the barn before it went up in flames. We—we didn't know there was anyone else in there! But she was just a little girl. The next day, my parents asked us if we knew anything about what happened to her. I thought my brother loved me, but he told them I'd started the fire on purpose! I thought my parents trusted me, but they didn't believe me when I said it wasn't me! I was charged with a crime I didn't commit. My mother pleaded for a lesser sentence, but they feared I'd hurt someone again. No one would even look at me anymore. Their so-called justice was served on Christmas Eve, the first day of my thirteenth year . . . and the last night of my life."

Tears streamed down Mr. Nobody's cheeks. Jack's eyes widened when he made the connection: William's lifeless body surrounded by frayed rope beneath a tree, the fire his brother blamed on him and the scar around his neck. "I can't believe they'd do that to you," Jack stated, horrified. "You were just a kid."

"_You_ had the pleasure of not knowing your memories. But I—_I_ have the curse of never being able to forget!"

"But I don't get it. Why are you doing this?"

"Because I grow tired of taking the blame! I hate children. They're evil, selfish, lying monsters who deserve a treacherous fate! When I've removed all of their parents from the forsaken world, they will have a slow and painful extermination. Can you imagine the sight? Children starving, fighting to survive—to even breathe—without adults to care for them. My hatred will be a raging fire to burn the world to ashes!"

William stepped through the flaming cell bars unscathed. Jack fell to the ground and crawled back as far as he could without setting his hoodie ablaze. Nob grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him to his feet. "AHHH!" Jack screamed, the darkness from William's soul entering his. "What did you do to me?" he cried as he collapsed to his hands and knees.

"I put a portal inside your soul. With you on my side, the other Guardians _will_ fall."

Jack struggled to fight the darkness consuming him. He covered his face with his hands, only to see they were fading to a charcoal gray. His vision blurred red, and he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jamie," he whispered, his body shaking with seizures.


End file.
